During rehearsals for the Crosby, Stills & Nash concert in Los Angeles on April 13, Crosby's wife Jan Dance stepped out to take a quick break. Hearing the Grammy and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members working their way through their repertoire of folk rock classics, Dance hummed and nodded along.

As her husband launched into his 1969 signature hit, "Almost Cut My Hair," Dance decided it was time to rejoin the band. But when she opened the stage door at Club Nokia, Dance did a double-take.

There, just to the right of Stills and Nash, confidently strumming an acoustic guitar and singing lead, stood not her husband but another musician entirely. Saratoga resident Nick Guzman, 23, was belting out the lyrics in a voice and style nearly identical to Crosby's original.

That Guzman managed to fool Dance was significant enough. But Guzman's road to that stage in L.A. is the far more remarkable story: 19 years ago, Guzman was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorders, a group of conditions (including autism) that delay the development of basic skills such as speech. His spectrum of disorders included echolalia, which caused Guzman to parrot sounds, questions and comments.

"If I said, 'Nick, would you like a glass of water,' as a yes he would repeat the same words back to me," says his mom, Christinna Guzman. "I was told he would never go to a regular school, never receive a high school diploma and never hold a job, drive a car or marry."

Singing and playing an instrument? Unthinkable.

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Guzman's appearance at the concert capped many years of often painful effort, and progress measured in the tiniest of baby steps. His father Tony--a longtime recruiter at Apple--and Christinna held steadfast to the belief that their son had the tools to be a success. But there were times, she admits, when it was difficult to remain optimistic.

"There's all of this awful energy being thrown your way about your kid, and you're absorbing it all. After a while you start to feel helpless," Christinna says.

During Guzman's elementary school days, a move to a new neighborhood, combined with differences of opinions with school staff about his need for an on-site aide, led to a challenging learning environment. Attempting to make his way through his mainstream fourth-grade class alone, Guzman was frequently bullied, causing him to act out. Often, his outbursts stymied well-intentioned teachers.

"They'd stick him in a corner facing the wall and call it 'his office.' When he was allowed to bring his GameBoy to school to keep him occupied at recess, the other kids surrounded him and tried to steal it. So of course Nick pushed back and got suspended. That sort of stuff happened all of the time; it was very stressful," his mom recalls.

At their wits' end as Guzman entered middle school, his parents agreed to put him on medication. But anti-depressants saw Guzman's weight balloon to 200 pounds, while a second experiment with ADHD meds prompted behaviors that "seemed like he drank three pots of coffee," Christinna says. "He lost weight, and he developed this incredible sensitivity to sounds, such as fire engines and babies crying."

What the Guzmans were to discover was that their son's reaction to discordant noises was caused by the fact that he possesses perfect pitch. Suddenly, promising new options loomed. Says Christinna, "Nick always found solace in music. We're huge fans of classic rock, so he grew up with Cream, the Eagles, Eric Clapton, and of course, Crosby, Stills & Nash. He loved singing along, and it really calmed him. So we decided to put him into music therapy."

Along with learning to play guitar and sing, the sessions helped Guzman in other crucial areas, including the inflexion of his voice and his interpersonal skills. Through music therapy, his mom says he literally found his voice. "Kids with Asperger's have no problems with language, whereas with PDD they lack verbal communications skills. Music really helped Nick begin to interact with people."

By the time Guzman received his diploma from Westmont High School in 2007, he and three fellow members of the school choir sang the national anthem at their graduation ceremony. The young man whose parents had been told he'd never graduate had defied the odds--and then some.

"That's when the healing began, and Nick could really 'breathe,' " Christinna says.

In the post-graduation years, Guzman worked diligently on his music. Recognizing his talents, a number of high-profile members of the Bay Area and Hollywood communities volunteered to assist. Former KFOG morning anchor Peter Finch (whose son is autistic) introduced Guzman to the local "house concert" scene, which sees Bay Area residents transforming their homes into intimate performance spaces; Guzman became a regular on the house concert circuit. Ry Kihn, son of celebrated guitarist Greg Kihn and a successful musician in his own right, became Guzman's guitar instructor. Over time, Guzman--always chauffeured by Christinna--began braving open mic nights at local South Bay clubs and coffeehouses. With each successful gig, Guzman's confidence grew.

At a summer film camp run by Joey Travolta (older brother of John) for those diagnosed with autism and Asperger's, Guzman's musical career kicked into high gear. During breaks each day, Guzman often pulled out his guitar and played and sang classic rock tunes. Noticing the mini-crowds that Guzman's impromptu performances invariably drew, Travolta asked Christinna if her son would come to his studio in Los Angeles to record a song Travolta had just penned. Mother and son made the trip and recorded the song, and Guzman has barely had a free moment ever since.

Shortly afterward, Christinna connected with noted children's acting coach Elaine Hall, whose work with learning-disabled children was the inspiration for the Emmy Award-winning HBO documentary, Autism, The Musical. Hall, whose son Neil is autistic, is the co-founder of The Miracle Project, a theater group for children with autism and other disorders.

Hall invited Guzman to sing at The Grove in Los Angeles, where she was shooting an ABC special. While there Guzman met Stephen Stills, whose son Henry (one of the six children featured in Hall's film) was diagnosed with Asperger's. At Guzman's first time at the mic with Stills, actor/rocker Jack Black joined in. "Nick sang 'Beg, Steal or Borrow' by Ray La Montagne, and when he was done Jack Black said, 'Dude, you sound just like Neil Young!' Wherever we go, people always say Nick sounds like Neil Young," Christinna says, laughing.

That performance led to Guzman's invitation to become one of The Miracle Project's FLY Singers. Young performers with autism and Asperger's who are selected for the honor are paired with celebrity artists--such as Stills, Black, Chaka Kahn, Babyface and others--to record original duets for CDs whose sales benefit The Miracle Project. As if that accolade weren't enough, Guzman next found himself one of just three FLY Singers invited to perform at the "Light Up the Blues" concert earlier this month. Presented by Stills and his wife Kristen, the all-star event was a benefit for Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization.

On the bill with CS&N and Guzman and his fellow FLYers, Rio Wyles and Lexington Aaron, were Black, Rickie Lee Jones, Lucinda Williams, Chris Stills and former Eagles' lead guitarist Don Felder. Actors Christina Applegate, Amy Brenneman, Paul Adelstein, Davvid Marciano and Michael Chiklis were a part of the program as well.

At the rehearsal, Christinna says the welcome she and her son received from all members of CS&N far exceeded her most fervent expectations. "They're all so kind and humble and respectful. When Nick finished singing 'Almost Cut My Hair,' Crosby went up and gave him a huge hug ... and then he walked back to me and said, 'He's a great kid, man, a great kid. And his wife said, 'When I told you I thought that was my husband singing, that was the highest compliment I could give anyone.' They were so warm and authentic; it was more like being at someone's backyard barbecue."

As Guzman took the stage before the SRO crowd of 2,300 that evening and the CS&N backup band prepared to play, Guzman's mom held her breath. But the moment her son launched into Crosby's famous tune, she says an enormous smile crept over her face. If possible, the grin grew even larger when Stills, guitar in hand, strode out on stage to accompany her son.

"I have to say," Christinna confides proudly, "Nick absolutely brought it that night. When he finished, he got a standing ovation. It was so great!"

The band showed its appreciation by presenting Guzman with a number of gifts, including a poster autographed by all of the evening's performers. Graham Nash also took the time to inscribe Guzman's guitar, writing "To My Friend Nick: You rocked it. Even Crosby loved it."

At the gala after-party celebration, Guzman and his mom were surprised to find themselves as popular as the "name" artists in attendance. Surrounded by the A-listers, Christinna says her son handled the situation like a seasoned pro. "It was so surreal. Every time I looked at Nick, he was talking to someone new and just beaming," Christinna says.

Since the Guzmans have returned from Southern California, Nick has been continuing his courses in music studies at West Valley College. If all goes well, he hopes to attend the Musicians Institute in Hollywood after graduation. That will make yet another diploma for Guzman, despite the assertion of the "experts" that his fingers would never close around that prized piece of parchment.

When Christinna completes the book she's working on, which chronicles the Guzman family's experiences with an autistic child, she hopes to share the wisdom that has shaped their life together. "People tend to think of those with autism as not being able to do something. It's the word 'disabled' that trips people up; they hear it as 'incapable.' I want the parents of autistic kids to know that there are positives out there, and not just focus on the negatives."

"Of course you'll have challenging years," she adds. "But these kids do grow up and mature, and you can help them learn. You just have to keep the love alive."